Simeon All Access | Wolverines relaxed on eve of semifinal

Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune

Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune

Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune reporter

PEORIA — A relaxed atmosphere settled over Simeon's practice at Peoria Central on Thursday afternoon, a result of the been-here, know-how-to-do-this mind-set of a team that is in the state semifinals for the fourth straight season.

The frenzy will come Friday, when No. 1 Simeon faces No. 4 Proviso East in a 6:30 p.m. in a Class 4A semifinal at Carver Arena. The Wolverines said protecting their run at a fourth consecutive state title means protecting the basketball against the aggressive, defensive-minded Pirates.

"We've got to make sure we really take care of the ball," Simeon guard Jaylon Tate said. "We beat them last year (in the 4A final), so they're going to have a bad taste in their mouths and really come out against us and play hard."

Simeon coach Robert Smith said the Wolverines (28-3) have to control the pace against a Proviso East team that is quicker than they are.

"They push the floor and get the up-tempo going," Simeon forward Jabari Parker said. "They play a run-and-gun system. We need to handle the ball well, no turnovers."

From the bench: Smith said he can always insert 6-foot-7 sophomore reserve D.J. Williams if he needs an extra ballhandler Friday. Williams' presence also gives Simeon another credible outside shooting threat to go with Tate and Kendrick Nunn.

After New Trier made five first-quarter 3-pointers in a 4A supersectional Tuesday, Williams hit a 3 to end the first quarter and another to start the second quarter to help stall the Trevians' momentum.

"It's huge when you can reach down and get a guy to come off the bench and hit some big 3s after he's been sitting there for a quarter," Smith said. "That's the good thing, when you reach down there and you don't lose much."

Williams said he wasn't in the game to match New Trier's shooting, but he seized the opportunity when he saw it.

"I had confidence in it," Williams said. "Before every practice, I've been working on my jump shots. I just take it to the games, and it's worked so far."

From the line: Parker offered up another key to Friday's game against Proviso East (29-3) — free throws.

Simeon shot 4-for-12 from the free-throw line in the first 15 minutes of the second half against New Trier before Parker made four attempts and Kendall Pollard made two in the final minute.

"We need to make sure we make free throws down in the clutch," Parker said. "The last game we struggled as a team shooting free throws in the fourth quarter. I think if we adjust that, we'll be fine."

He said it: "We just get a lot of rest. We sleep in. Usually when we go out of town and stay in hotels, we don't get that much rest, but downstate we get a lot of rest." — Tate on Simeon's Peoria routine.